ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Bartendaz of New York want to serve as many young people as possible -- and that 's a good thing .

One of the Bartendaz , Metaphysics , performs the flag move during a demonstration at an Atlanta-area school .

These fitness gurus are n't promoting underage drinking . Named for the creative moves they perform on the pull-up bar , the Bartendaz are empowering youths through calisthenics .

By ditching free weights and weight machines in favor of using their own body weight on the bar and the floor , the Bartendaz have developed a series of acrobatic strength exercises that have sparked attention on YouTube and from such celebrity clients as rapper Ludacris and mixed martial arts champion Rashad Evans . Some members also earned a stint with New York 's Apollo Circus of Soul .

But Bartendaz founder Hassan Yasin 's proudest achievement is his program 's impact on youths .

`` My number one claim to fame -LSB- is -RSB- ... when I walk in the park and they 're not chilling on the benches , they 're at the bars , '' said Yasin , 40 . `` All the guys that -LSB- were -RSB- hanging out there , taking up space , -LSB- are -RSB- now leaving because there 's too many youth coming back . ''

Dozens of New York City schools have adopted Bartendaz moves into their physical education programs through grass-roots networking , Yasin said . He believes the exercises resonate among students who have been otherwise tough to reach . See the Bartendaz in action ''

The Brooklyn Academy High School for at-risk students incorporated the program into its curriculum to motivate students to become more involved in physical education , said principal Elaine Lindsey . But the kids love it so much , she said , that it became `` a tool to motivate the students to actually come to school . ''

The minimal equipment makes it financially and logistically accessible without the need of a gym . And the use of body weight , instead of free weights , keeps it safe for young bodies , said Dr. Stephen Sanders , the director of the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida . As a general rule , children should not lift heavy weights until after puberty , when their muscles are more mature , said Sanders , who is not affiliated with the Bartendaz .

The Brooklyn Academy was unable to afford the Bartendaz visits this year , which Yasin says cost about $ 400 to $ 600 per session for 25 to 30 students . But , Lindsey said , `` Once they mastered it here , they could always do it -LSB- at -RSB- home or anywhere . ''

The Bartendaz have also found success teaching juvenile and adult inmates at Rikers Island , the New York jail facility -- an idea met with resistance about five years ago .

'' ` Do n't bring fitness in there . They 're in jail , what are you doing ? ' '' Yasin said , quoting early critics . `` I said , ` It 's like stress management . Give us an opportunity to present it . ' Once we presented it , that was it . We started putting bars in the yard so the young men can work out . ''

`` They put us in the worst buildings , the most violent , and we became a breath of fresh air because there -LSB- are -RSB- no organizations going inside . So for one to come inside , it gives ... the inmates the opportunity to come out and say , ` Let me listen to what they have to offer . And now I can get out of my cell , ' '' Yasin said .

Learning from someone who 's been there

This was n't Yasin 's first experience with the New York City Department of Corrections . A native of Manhattan 's Lower East Side , he spent four years behind bars in his early 20s and did time at a juvenile facility at age 17 , both for drug-related charges .

After his release in the early 1990s , Yasin cleaned up his act and became a motivational speaker -- talking to New York youths about substance abuse awareness , conflict resolution , gang prevention and leadership -- which evolved into his nonprofit , Giant Thinking . Meanwhile , he was honing his acrobatic skills on the pull-up bars at local parks , and eventually gained a following and partners-in-training .

Having built up respect from teachers and administrators at New York City schools , Yasin and his team were tasked with developing a program to get kids to stop cutting gym class .

`` The ultimate thing was ... how can we do this in a way we do n't have to use a whole bunch of equipment ? '' said Dr. G -LRB- short for Dr. Goodbody -RRB- , one of the Bartendaz whom Yasin consulted in developing the school initiative . `` So the concept of anytime , anywhere exercises came about . ''

Today , as the Bartendaz visit schools and other facilities , they divide their time between spreading the positive messages of Giant Thinking and the fitness training of Bartendaz .

The model effectively held the attention of students at Crossroads Second Chance South . Through a partnership with Atlanta , Georgia , nonprofit Next Century Youth , the Bartendaz recently held a series of demonstrations in the Atlanta area , including Crossroads South , an alternative high school for students who have been expelled .

After high-fiving one another for successfully naming 10 fruits that promote good health , the Crossroads South students gave a standing ovation for their classmates as they joined the Bartendaz for compound moves on the pull-up bar and on the floor for pushups .

Exercising at the pull-up bar brings a camaraderie that you do n't see among weight lifters , Yasin said .

'' -LSB- You see -RSB- healthy competition and a lot of smiling going on , versus the aggression '' involved in weight lifting , Yasin said . There 's `` nothing to talk about when you 're lifting weights . They 're dead serious . ''

Crossroads South PE teacher Rachelle Bradley said she hoped to work further with the Bartendaz to incorporate their moves into her teaching .

`` It 's very practical , not something structured . ... Our students do n't like structure , and this is more creative , '' Bradley said .

Bartendaz fan Justin Kemp , 18 , found the group on YouTube about a year ago and took on its exercise techniques soon after . Before long , he went from doing three pushups during television commercial breaks to being able to do 100 to 150 consecutively , he said .

`` I feel challenged , '' Kemp said . `` I love when I 'm challenged because ... it keeps me on top of my game . ''

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Bartendaz perform compound fitness moves using a pull-up bar , body weight

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With limited equipment , the exercises are financially and logistically accessible

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Group also stresses gang prevention , leadership , substance abuse awareness